The Chicago Sun-Times exposes the ties between the Obama administration, their chief political strategist David Axelrod and his consulting company, ASGK Public Strategies and AKPD.

Axelrod will tell you that they are no longer his companies.

But don’t believe it.

He’s on their payroll for $200,000 a year.

Mike on his Small Talk blog:

Among ASGK clients are Citibank, the financial giant that received $45 billion in bailout money after helping to cause the global financial collapse. Citi is also the driving force behind the Mayor’s so-called Infrastructure Trust scheme. Another client is the Ricketts family, owners of the Cubs. You might recall, it was Joe Ricketts, the right-wing family patriarch, whose PAC planned the racist ad campaign against Pres. Obama. Rahm Emanuel then feigned outrage and threatened to turn his back on the Ricketts’ demand for about $500 million in public funding for the renovation of Wrigley Field.

And what does this have to do with teachers?

Another Axelrod-founded firm — AKPD Media and Messaging — recently produced ads critical of the Chicago Teachers Union, which is locked in a contract battle with Emanuel, who seems hell-bent on destroying the city’s public employee unions. AKPD oversaw Emanuel’s ad blitz during his mayoral campaign, and the firm is a paid consultant to his political committee, state records show.

So, Obama’s chief political strategist works for the firm (which he founded) which is responsible for the public relations campaign against the Chicago Teachers Union. And Rahm is a co-chair of Obama’s re-election campaign. And Penny Pritzker, Obama’s chief fundraiser in 2008, sits on the school board that won’t bargain with the CTU. And Obama’s party has as its Illinois Chairman the guy who is out to destroy teacher pensions. And Obama’s party controls all three branches of Illinois government that is slashing education funding and enacting so-called reforms that would make Scott Walker blush.

Are there any questions about the party’s platform on education for 2012?

I HOPE this will wake the Obama campaign… ahh, wake Obama, to distance himself from the Pritzkers n the Shvitzers cause this undermines his claim to care for the middle class and makes his attack on Romney’s Bain capital look so so insincere… Makes me feel bad, how much excitement and how much heartbreak. It’s not the economy, its the hypocrisy that will cost him with me.

Dear Friend,
Today, the Obama campaign is launching its Educators for Obama effort.
You can join through NEA’s Educators for Obama group to find out how your colleagues are supporting the president’s re-election, and to be connected with the Obama campaign.
President Obama took a strong stand for public school employees, policeofficers and fire fighters, when he got the federal government, for the first time ever, to provide funding to save 450,000 educator jobs and to keep class sizes down. And he’s fighting to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy once and for all to make sure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share, instead of trying to balance the budget on the backs of working families.
This is an exciting day, coming on the heels of learning more about Mitt Romney’s dangerous education policy views – including his beliefs that reducing class sizes wouldn’t improve student learning and that voters don’t support funding to keep educators and other public employees on the job. In both cases, he’s wrong and out of touch with what Americans value and want.
That’s why tens of thousands of your fellow NEA members are signing up for Educators for Obama, so they can stay informed and learn ways to help spread the word.
Join them today and get the latest in campaign updates, special offers and opportunities to help in your area.
Thanks for all you do,
Carrie Pugh
Campaign Manager, National Education Association

Is the NEA or AFT aware of what is going on? Are they holding Obama, Axelrod, Rahm, and Madigan accountable? Why is the NEA and AFT falling all over Obama just as the United States Senators did with Jamie Dimon at the Senate Banking hearing, no hard questions, just a lot of ass kissing, it is embarrassing and demeaning.

Therefore, the way I see it some union leadership is afraid that they have no choice so they are giving in to the demands and demanding nothing in return for our support. NEA gave Obama our support last summer, which in my opinion was too soon and he didn’t have to work for it.

We have to wake up to the new reality of politics. Everyone is being bought and has layers of dealings and ulterior motives that benefit and profit them and their cronies. We are naive to blindly give ANYONE support anymore just because we have given it to them before. If all unions stood together, as we used to, we would be a force to be reckoned with. Instead, we cower and give in to things we know are going to destroy us, that go against our core beliefs, and dismantle what our predecessors fought so hard for. We vote against our own best interest, the best interest of our profession and the best interest of free public education.

I am not voting for Obama until I get some answers and I want MY union to ask him the hard questions, demand truthful answers. Obama needs to know that just because the NEA and AFT leadership gave him support that does not mean educators agree. You see we are free thinkers and will make our own decisions so Obama had better talk to America’s teachers because we do not trust him and will not vote for him just because someone tells us too or promised our support.

I know Citizens United makes it hard to fight against big money but we have the membership and the votes. Learn from the mistakes in Wisconsin, take pointers from CTU, channel our founders and get our game on!!

I received the same from the NEA & it sickened me. That along with those others stating,”Donate today & win a chance to have dinner with the President at George Clooney’s! OR Sarah Jessica Parker’s! OR Anna Wintours!” Or messages from “Michelle”
who says,”My husband is waiting to have lunch with you!” OR “James Carville” OR “Bill Clinton!” OR “Caroline Kennedy!” I e-mail back , stating, “No, thank you, I will NOT donate nor will I volunteer as I did in 2008 UNTIL-1. Pres. Obama replaces Arne Duncan w/Dr. Diane Ravitch or Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (who was SUPPOSED to have been appointed). 2. Pres. Obama REPEALS RttT & puts an end to standardized testing, sending the BILLIONS of $$$ given to Pearson back to the public schools to DIRECTLY help children. 3. Streamline or abolish the D.o.Ed. All 3 must be accomplished BY November, not promised. “Sorry,” I e-mail,” I could care less about having dinner with George Clooney & S.J.Parker & Anna Wintour. What I DO care about is America’s children & their future.”

I suggest that everyone who feels the same send the same message. What if the “Class of 682,054” (& growing) did the same? What if all of you who read this told your friends & colleagues to e-mail Obama w/the same message? Do you think if 1 million or more people did this it would make some impact? Do you think it would send a message that hell, no, we educators–who you have absolutely stomped on, we parents, whose children have become test zombies–are not going to vote for you unless you change your policies, admit your mistakes–mistakes that have practically (if not wholly) destroyed American education? (And, if after having read Fred’s post & all these comments, you still do not believe what’s happening–read Diane Ravitch’s Blog.)

This is a nightmare of gargantuan proportions, & we all have to wake up before it’s too late.

No link to the platform? It will probably be unveiled at the convention. I share your concerns on this but please take pains to be maximally accurate with your words, to be more effective and credible.

Arguments need to be accurate to be stronger. False or misleading statements undermine the speaker’s credibility as well as the credibility of fellow travellers (me) and the position, itself.

Sorry that you found my posts lacking accuracy, Andy. I try to be as accurate as I can. Most of the several thousand people who visit each day seem to find it helpful. But I can always do better. You are correct. Since this is June and the Democrats will not adopt a platform until their convention, you are unable to link to something that doesn’t exist. My information that the Democrats do not intend to include an education plank is based on information I have received from those with ties to the Party leadership. And frankly, if the past four years are a guide, I rather they not adopt an education plank based if it is based on what they have done over the past four years.

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